UNITED CUP

January 2, 2023

Daniel Evans

Team Great Britain

Press Conference

D. EVANS/A. Ramos-Vinolas

6-3, 1-6, 6-3

Team Great Britain - 3

Team Spain - 1

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Dan. How does it feel to qualify your team for the Sydney finals here in Sydney?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it was great. Yeah, I'm just happy to win. Obviously it was to get through. You know, at the end of the day it's a team event and that's what it's about is the team to do well, although there is points, but it's all about getting teams through, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Great result tonight. Tim was quite vocal throughout the match, which he's been throughout the whole tournament so far. What's it like having him there in your corner, spurring you on?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it's great. I think this is sort of the beauty of this event is if you can, you know, attract old players and keep them in the game, they can teach the younger -- I'm not so young, but younger people and the younger guys and girls, you know, more and more, because they were so good. It's amazing, you know, we all grew up watching Tim who is obviously a very good tennis player, a lot better than basically everyone on the team. He knows so much.

It's amazing to hear his insight into the match. A lot of the time it can be a bit different to what we might be seeing. You sort of trust that, and it really does help.

Yeah, it's great for the fans, as well, I think, he's mic'd up and they can sort of hear what he's saying. And down at the other end as well, you can hear so much. I was watching Badosa play before, and Harriet, I don't understand Spanish, but there was a lot of chat there and it's great to listen to.

Q. Obviously it's a team event but for you personally how good is it to get a win under your belt so early in the season?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it's good. You know, I had a little, an unfortunate start to the year. I was obviously sick from the flight. So that was disappointing. Yeah, you know, you lose a bit of confidence in what's happening in how you're not feeling great and are you going to get back to full strength, et cetera, et cetera. Obviously the other night didn't help very much, it wasn't a dead rubber but didn't have as much edge on it. It was difficult.

So, yeah, tonight really does help, but again, like I said, it's a team event. I would have preferred not to be getting on the court to have to win. I would have liked it to have been 3-0 but it's nice to come through for the team.

Q. What do you think made the difference tonight in that match?

DANIEL EVANS: I was the aggressor in the third set. I played probably a lot of the tennis. I think we sat down, I think, at 2-1 or 3-2 and just said, Come on, just get a forehand and hit it and get in, and it worked. Yeah, that was the game plan basically, find a way to get onto the forehand and I did that.

You know, I come up with some good points when I needed to and served well right at the end.

Q. You touched on the event itself. How much have you actually enjoyed the whole experience? Yeah, the team, but a mixed team and the atmosphere, et cetera.

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, I think the men would be the first to admit we don't watch, you know, enough women's tennis, and, you know, we could be a little better educated on some of the way they play. It's so nerve-racking to watch, you know, your friends play and, you know, you want them to do so well, and then but it's very different to the way I play, say.

That's where, you know, like I was saying with the captains, so many of the captains do a great job to switch from men's and women's, and I think it's been very, very good tennis to watch but also more enjoyable to watch. Because, you know, the ATP Cup was great, but it's sort of thrown a lot of us out of our comfort zone to have to sit there and sort of give our two pennies' worth. But we have got to be careful if we are saying the right thing or not.

It's been amazing to sit there and watch Harriet work so hard and, you know, Katie Swan yesterday was amazing. It's definitely been great. I have enjoyed it so much and hopefully we've got some more.

Q. While Harriet was playing this evening, a three-hour roller coaster, seesaw, merry-go-round, how were you actually feeling while that was going on?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, that's it. Like, I don't know how that momentum is in the women's game. You know, if she's going to switch again or not. You know, you sort of feel it in the men's game because you know the players a bit more.

It was just a great match, to be honest. I had to not watch as much because I was getting too involved and losing energy. Yeah, the level was amazing. You know, she was very unlucky to not come out winning. But it was, yeah, I had to refocus pretty quick and get out there to try and get the tie done.